Note: Registration requirements listed here do not apply to
eligibility for financial aid programs administered by the Office for Student Financial
Affairs.
For students on appointment for the full summer, minimum registration must total that
specified for C term. Registration may be in any combination of A, B, or C terms. However,
courses must be distributed so that the student is registered during each term that he/she
is on appointment. Students on appointment registering for any summer term must register
at the beginning of A term.
Drop/Add
During the drop/add period, the student may drop and add courses with no penalty but
should have prior approval of the Supervisory Committee Chairperson. After the regular
drop/add period, however, the student must petition to drop or add a course. The petition
form requires the student’s justification and signature, the justification and signature
of the Supervisory Committee Chairperson, and approval of the Assistant Dean for Graduate
Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS. Students should assess the need to drop a
course as soon as possible; overloads will not necessarily be viewed as a hardship. If a
student on assistantship drops to less than the minimum number of required credits per
semester, he/she will lose the assistantship and, in addition, will have to reimburse the
University for fee waivers and any stipend paid that semester.
S/U Grading
S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) graded graduate courses, or other S/U-graded courses
shown on the Form 2, do not count toward degree requirements. Neither are S/U grades
considered in calculating the grade point average. The only S/U graded courses regularly
available to graduate students are those courses stated in the Graduate Catalog as having only
S/U grading.
Form 2, Program of Study
The Form 2 lists the courses to be taken and the semesters in which the student will
take them. To help the Supervisory Committee plan for completing the Form 2, the student
should provide each committee member with informal records of previous studies (form
available in the Office of the Graduate Coordinator) or transcripts, and should coordinate
a time when all committee members and the student can meet together to work out a mutually
agreeable schedule of courses to fit the student’s particular needs.
Students are permitted to take courses not shown on the Form 2, but those courses will
not count toward the student’s degree requirements unless his/her Supervisory Committee
Chairperson sends a memo, through the Graduate Coordinator, to the Assistant Dean for
Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS, requesting that these courses be
added to the Form 2. If, for any reason, the student fails to take a course listed on the
Form 2, his/her Supervisory Committee chairperson must petition the Assistant Dean for
Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture IFAS, through the Graduate Coordinator,
to have the course deleted from the Form 2. Otherwise the student will be unable to
graduate for failure to complete the Program of Study. The changes listed above may be
combined in one memo sent during the term in which the student plans to graduate.
Master of Science with Thesis
Supervisory Committee
The Supervisory Committee should be appointed as soon as possible after enrolling in the department but no later than the second semester of study. The Graduate School requires that the Supervisory Committee for an M.S. student be comprised of at least two faculty members. However, since three faculty members must be present at the final examination, our department requires that the Supervisory Committee be comprised of three members. All three members may be from the Entomology and Nematology Department. If the student declares a minor (not required), then one of the three Supervisory Committee members must be from the minor subject department. All Supervisory Committee members must have been appointed to the Graduate Faculty.
If the Supervisory Committee includes Courtesy Faculty, an equal or greater number of committee members must be faculty in the IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department.
If the Supervisory Committee is not appointed before the end of the second semestere of study, the Graduate School will place a hold on the student’s record preventing further registration.
Form 2, Program of Study
After the Supervisory Committee is appointed, the Committee, along with the student, must complete the student’s Form 2 no later than the end of the second semester of study. If the Form 2 is not completed, the Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS, will place a hold on the student’s record preventing further registration.
Course Requirements
A beginning course in biochemistry and a beginning course in statistics are required as foundation work. BCH 3023 in the Botany Department, BCH 3025 in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, BCH 4024 in Medicine-Biochemistry, BCH 5046 in Agriculture, STA 2023 in the Statistics Department, and AGR 5266 in the Agronomy Department meet these requirements. Beginning with the fall semester 1998, courses numbered 3000 and 4000 will no longer count for graduate credit. See Competency in Entomology and Nematology Sections for required core courses.
A minimum of 30 semester credits is required, 6 of which may be ENY 6971 or NEM 6971, Research for Master’s Thesis. Total registration for 6971 is unlimited, but only 6 credits will count toward the 30 needed. In the term of graduation, all students must register for a minimum of three credits of 6971. Students on assistantships also must register for the total number of credits required by the assistantship.
Twelve of the 30 credits must be courses in the major, numbered 5000 or above, and letter-graded (not S/U). A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in the major. If a minor is chosen (not required), at least 6 credits must be in the minor. Two 6-credit minors may be taken. Beginning with the 1998 fall semester, all courses that count for graduate credit must be at the 5000 and above level. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in the minor(s). Unless otherwise approved in writing by the Graduate School, minor work must be in a department other than the major.
A maximum of 8 semester credits of graduate level work may be transferred into an M.S. program from other graduate schools or from graduate courses taken in a post-baccalaureate program at the University of Florida, if approved by the Graduate School.
Thesis
A thesis and dissertation style manual is available from the Graduate School Editorial Office. The thesis must be approved by the Supervisory Committee, the Graduate Coordinator, the Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS, and the Dean of the Graduate School. One copy of the thesis, printed on 20#, 100% rag bond, must be given to the Graduate School for microfilming. A second copy, also printed on 20#, 100% rag bond, must be given to the Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS, who will send it to the library for hard binding, and a third copy must be given to the Graduate Coordinator for binding and cataloging in the Entomology and Nematology Department Reading Room. Also, the Supervisory Committee chairperson will want a copy, as may other members of the committee.
Final Examination and Public Seminar
Students must pass a final examination administered by the Supervisory Committee. The examination may be oral, or written, or both, and cannot be taken earlier than the term before the degree is
to be awarded. Before taking the final examination, the student’s thesis should be in final form, and the course work should be complete or nearly so. The student must give a public seminar based on the thesis
results. The seminar is usually given immediately preceding the final examination. Any faculty member may participate in the final examination.
Exit Interviews
All students must complete an exit interview with the Department Chairman and complete a questionnaire plus an exit interview with the Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS. Students will not be certified for graduation until the questionnaire and interview with the Assistant Dean are completed.
Master of Science Nonthesis
Supervisory Committee
The Supervisory Committee should be appointed as soon as possible after the student enrolls in the department, but no later than the second semester of study. The Graduate School requires that the Supervisory Committee for an M.S. nonthesis student be comprised of at least one faculty member. However, our department requires that the Supervisory Committee be comprised of three members. If the student declares a minor (not required), one member of the Supervisory Committee must be from the minor subject department. All Supervisory Committee members must have been appointed to the Graduate Faculty. If the Supervisory Committee includes Courtesy Faculty, an equal or greater number of committee members must be faculty in the IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department.
If the Supervisory Committee is not appointed before the end of the second semester of study, the Graduate School will place a hold on the student’s record preventing further registration.
Form 2, Program of Study
After the Supervisory Committee is appointed, the Committee, along with the student, must complete the student’s Form 2 no later than the end of the second semester of study. If this is not done, the Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS, will place a hold on the student’s record preventing further registration.
Course Requirements
A beginning course in biochemistry and a beginning course in statistics are required as foundation work. BCH 3023 in the Botany Department, BCH 3025 in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, BCH 4024 in Medicine-Biochemistry, BCH 5045 in Agriculture, STA 2023 in the Statistics Department, and AGR 5266 in the Agronomy Department meet these requirements. Beginning with the fall semester 1998, courses numbered 3000 and 4000 will no longer count for graduate credit. See Competency in Entomology and Nematology Sections for required core courses.
Minimum requirements are 32 letter-graded (no S/U) semester credits. At least 16 of the 32 credits must be courses in the major numbered 5000 or above. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in the major. One or two minors of at least six credits each may be chosen [minor(s) not required]. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in the minor(s). Students not scoring at least 500 on the verbal portion of the GRE must take a writing course.
Change from a Thesis to Nonthesis Option
Students who wish to change from a thesis to a nonthesis option must obtain the permission of the Supervisory Committee. A new Form 2 showing 32 graded credits (no S/U) must be sent to the Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS. The Form 2, accompanied by a petition requesting permission to change to a nonthesis degree, must be forwarded to the Graduate School through the IFAS Dean at least one full semester prior to the intended graduation date. The student must meet all the requirements of the nonthesis option, and may be permitted to convert 3 semester credits of 6971 to 6905 (Problems) or 6934 (Selected Studies) with a letter grade of B or above. The latter is at the discretion of the Supervisory Committee and with the approval of the Graduate School. A petition to the Graduate School, written by the Chairperson of the Supervisory Committee and approved by the Graduate Coordinator and the Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS, must indicate that the 6971 work was productive in and by itself and warrants credit as a Special Problem or Selected Study.
Final Examination
Our department requires that the final examination, given during the final semester, must be both written and oral with written questions from all Supervisory Committee members.
Exit Interviews
All students must complete an exit interview with the Department Chairman and complete a questionnaire plus an exit interview with the Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS. Students will not be certified for graduation until the questionnaire and interview with the Assistant Dean are completed.
Doctor of Philosophy in Entomology and Nematology
Admission to the Ph.D. Program After Completing an M.S. Program
A student who earns the M.S. degree in our department is not automatically approved to continue for the Ph.D. degree. The student must write a letter requesting continuation and containing a brief "Statement of Purpose." There must also be a letter from the former and future Supervisory Committee Chairperson (may be the same person), evaluating the academic ability of the student and potential to successfully complete the Ph.D. program. These, along with the original documents of application for the M.S. degree, are circulated to the Graduate Committee for a vote. The applicant is notified by the Graduate Coordinator whether the Graduate Committee voted for continuation.
Supervisory Committee
A student who obtains an M.S. degree in the Entomology and Nematology Department and remains for the Ph.D. degree must have a Supervisory Committee appointed and a Form 2 completed for the Ph.D. program during the first semester of the Ph.D. program. For students who obtain the M.S. degree elsewhere, the Supervisory Committee should be appointed as soon as possible after the student enrolls in the department, but no later than the second semester of study. Failure to do so will result in a hold on the student’s record preventing further registration.
The Graduate School requires that all Ph.D. Supervisory Committees be comprised of a minimum of four faculty members. Since five faculty members must be present at the Qualifying and Final Examinations, this department requires that the committee be comprised of five members. At least two of those members must be from the IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department and one must be from a department other than Entomology and Nematology. All members of the Supervisory Committee must have been appointed to the Graduate Faculty. If the student declares a minor (not required), at least one committee member must be from the minor department.
The Chairperson of the Supervisory Committee, in consultation with the committee members, completes a Letter of Evaluation of the student each semester, approves the dissertation topic and the plans for carrying it out, and meets at about the mid-point of the research to review procedures, progress, expected results, and makes suggestions for completion of the program.
Form 2, Program of Study
After the Supervisory Committee is appointed, the Committee, along with the student, completes the student’s Program of Study (Form 2). If the Form 2 is not completed before the end of the second semester of study, the Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS, will place a hold on the student’s record preventing further registration.
Course Requirements
An undergraduate course in biochemistry and a graduate course in statistics are required as foundation work. BCH 3023 in the Botany Department, BCH 3025 in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, or BCH 4024 in Medicine-Biochemistry, BCH 5045 in Agriculture, and STA 6166, or STA 6200, or STA 6201 in the Statistics Department, and AGR 5266 in the Agronomy Department meet these requirements. Those wishing more statistical training often take the two-course sequence, STA 6166 and STA 6167. The Supervisory Committee may require other courses in statistics and/or biochemistry. Beginning with the fall semester 1998, courses numbered 3000 and 4000 will no longer count for graduate credit. See Competency in Entomology and Nematology Sections for required core courses.
A minimum of 90 semester credits beyond the B.S. degree is required to obtain the Ph.D. degree. A maximum of 30 credits may be transferred into the Ph.D. program from an M.S. degree from other colleges or universities approved by the Graduate School, and all credits earned in an M.S. program at the University of Florida are carried on to the Ph.D. program. The Supervisory Committee and the student will determine other course requirements. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in the major.
If a minor is taken, at least 12 credits in the minor subject numbered 5000 and above are required. If two minors are taken, at least 8 credits in each are required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in the minor(s).
In the term of graduation, all students must register for a minimum of three credits of 7980 Research for Doctoral Dissertation. Students on assistantships also must register for the total number of credit required by the assistantship.
Period of Residency
Beyond the first 30 credits counted toward the doctoral degree, students must complete 30 hours in residence at the University of Florida campus or at an approved branch station of the University of Florida Agricultural Experiment Stations or the Graduate Engineering and Research Center.
Ph.D. Qualifying Examination
The Ph.D. qualifying examination is comprehensive in scope with questions on details as well as principles and generalities. A good rule of thumb is to prepare by restudying all courses in one’s major and closely allied subjects as if preparing to take a final examination in each subject. This requires several months of intensive review for most students. The student MUST know his/her specific research area and organism(s) very well!
The Qualifying Examination may be taken during the third semester of graduate study beyond the bachelor’s degree. The department recommends that it be taken during the third semester after enrollment for the Ph.D. program. By that time, the student should have taken most of the required courses and be ready to devote most of his/her time to the dissertation research. The student is not Admitted to Candidacy for the Ph.D. degree until the Qualifying Examination has been passed. The examination is both written and oral. Our department requires written examinations from a minimum of four members of the Supervisory Committee, but all members may participate at the discretion of the individual member and the Chairperson of the Supervisory Committee. Many Supervisory Committees administer the written examinations to the students, one per day on consecutive days before the oral examination. The committee member should grade the examination and return a copy of the graded examination to the student so that he/she will have time to review weak areas before the oral examination. All members of the Supervisory Committee and the Graduate Coordinator must be together with the student for the oral portion of the Qualifying Examination. Any other faculty members may attend the Qualifying Examination. Competence in the minor area may be demonstrated through a written examination conducted by the minor department or through the oral qualifying examination.
Between the oral portion of the Qualifying Examination and graduation, at least two full semesters must elapse for full-time students, and one calendar year for part-time students. The semester in which the Qualifying Examination is taken counts as one semester if the examination is taken before the mid-point of the semester.
If a student fails the Qualifying Examination, the Supervisory Committee is not obligated to allow a re-examination. The student may request a re-examination, however, and if the request is granted by the Supervisory Committee, the re-examination may not be taken sooner than one semester after the first examination.
Admission to Candidacy
Application for Admission to Candidacy for the Ph.D. degree should be made as soon as the Qualifying Examination has been passed and a dissertation topic has been approved by the Supervisory Committee. Admission to Candidacy requires the approval of the Supervisory Committee, the Graduate Coordinator, the Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS, and the Dean of the Graduate School. A student may register for 7980, Research for Dissertation, only after being admitted to candidacy.
Dissertation
A thesis and dissertation style manual is available from the Graduate School. The Supervisory Committee must assure that the dissertation research is original and a contribution to knowledge. The dissertation must be approved unanimously, and signed by all members of the Supervisory Committee, the Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS, and the Dean of the Graduate School. One copy of the dissertation, printed on 20#, 100% rag bond, must be given to the Graduate School for microfilming. A second copy, also printed on 20#, 100% rag bond, must be given to the Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS, who will send it to the library for hard binding. A third copy must be given to the Graduate Coordinator of this department for binding and cataloging in the departmental Reading Room. Also, the Supervisory Committee chairperson will want a copy, as may other members of the committee.
Publication of Dissertation
All candidates for the Ph.D. degree must pay $50 to University Financial Services for microfilming the dissertation, and sign an agreement authorizing publication by microfilm. If the candidate chooses to copyright the dissertation, an additional $35, by certified check, cashiers’ check, or money order, payable to University Microfilms, must be attached to the signed microfilm agreement form. To insure receipt of the Copyright Registration Certificate, a permanent address at which the student may be reached must be given.
Exit Seminar and Final Examination
The Final Examination may be taken no earlier than the semester preceding the semester in which the degree is conferred. The Final Examination usually is oral and constitutes a defense of the dissertation. However, it may be written, or oral, or both, at the discretion of the Supervisory Committee, and may be used to re-examine the student on any areas in which he/she was weak in the Qualifying Examination. All Supervisory Committee members must be present with the student for the oral portion of the Final Examination. Any other faculty members may attend the Final Examination.
The student must make a public presentation of the dissertation results prior to the Final Examination. Usually this is done immediately preceding the examination and should be scheduled in the Office of the Graduate Coordinator.
Exit Interviews
All students must complete an exit interview with the Department Chairman and complete a questionnaire plus an exit interview with the Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS. Students will not be certified for graduation until the questionnaire and interview with the Assistant Dean are completed.
Time Limitations
All work for the doctorate must be completed within five calendar years after the Qualifying Examination, or the examination must be repeated.
Certification
Doctoral candidates who have completed all requirements for the degree may request certification to that effect prior to receipt of the degree. Certification request forms (available in the Graduate School Editorial Office) should be filled out by the candidate, signed by the Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Programs, IFAS, and returned to the Graduate School for verification and processing.
Evaluation
All M.S. and Ph.D. graduate students are required to have an evaluation of progress each semester. The evaluation must be made by the student’s Supervisory Chairperson and/or entire Supervisory Committee. Students are responsible for seeing that the evaluation is completed. Evaluation forms are sent to the Chair of the Supervisory Committee along with the Letter of Appointment.
Letter of Appointment
The Letter of Appointment applies only to students on assistantship. The letter must be signed by the student and supervisor prior to the beginning of each semester and returned to the business office.
Laboratory Assistants
Graduate students, whether or not on assistantships, are encouraged to serve as Laboratory Assistants in the various courses taught in the department, especially ENY 3005 for entomology students and NEM 3002 for nematology students. Graduate students on department-funded or Gahan assistantships are required to serve as Laboratory Assistants as part of their duties for holding the assistantships. The Graduate Coordinator will arrange the time when each student holding a Gahan or department-funded assistantship will serve as a Laboratory Assistant.
The duties of Laboratory Assistants may include any assistance to a faculty member with the laboratory, including arranging for supplies and equipment, setting out class materials, demonstrating use of equipment, explaining laboratory procedures, straightening up the lab afterward, storing equipment, conducting field trips, creating, administering, and grading laboratory examinations, or being in total charge of the laboratory.
International students who are to have lecturing duties must take the SPEAK test and obtain a score of at least 220.
Students are encouraged to enroll for 6940, Supervised Teaching, and be evaluated, when serving as a Laboratory Assistant.
Post-Baccalaureate Students, 6AG
The post-baccalaureate category, designated 6AG in IFAS, is not a degree-seeking program and is designed for persons who hold a Bachelor’s degree and want to improve their qualifications for positions they hold or want to hold. The general qualifications for such enrollment are almost the same as those needed to be accepted by the Graduate School. The 6AG student may take courses, usually graduate courses, without being accepted into the Graduate School. If the 6AG student later applies for and is accepted into a graduate program, a maximum of 8 semester credits of 5000 and above courses taken as a 6AG may be transferred into the graduate program with the approval of the Graduate School.
Students may apply for admission as post-baccalaureates in the office of the Assistant Dean for Academic Undergraduate Programs, College of Agriculture, IFAS.
Insect Physiology